For Eoghan O’Gara, sometimes the closer he is to the Dublin team the further away he feels.

The rangy full-forward has endured a troublesome 2013 from a injury viewpoint as a pair of operations on both hips meant he didn’t make his first start until the Leinster final win over Meath having missed out on the successful Allianz League campaign as Dublin claimed their first title in 20 years.

He said: “It was extremely hard to watch your team when you’re on the sidelines, you’re injured or suspended or whatever, and especially when they’re doing well - it makes it that bit harder.

“You just have to keep your eye on the prize and stay motivated and every time you go into the gym or every time you take to the pitch, make sure you’re improving yourself so that when you do come back, you’re as close to the level of the lads as can be.

“I was in the changing room after the League final, and you don’t really feel part of it - as much as you are part of the squad, you know, the bigger picture.

“If you’re not on the pitch, for me, it doesn’t really count.”

O’Gara knew he had a trying few months in front of him when he got his first hip operation before Christmas, knowing that he’d need another two months later.

“I was having groin problems for a couple of years, and couldn’t really get to the bottom of what was causing it,” he said.

“I went to a specialist and he identified the hips as the most likely cause, so we went down that route and it’s proved very effective.

“They kind of reshaped the ball and socket - it’s causing the groin to compensate, so when you free up the mechanics of the hip joint, you’re freeing up here as well.

“In time then, over the space of a few months, the pain and the inflammation that was there for a couple of years disappears.

“There wasn’t a whole lot to look forward to in December, only another operation in February.

“So it was hard but, yeah, you try and keep your eye on the prize and keep yourself motivated, in the gym, and then when you finally get back on the pitch, that’s a relief and you take it at different stages.

“Ultimately you’re trying to get back onto the pitch and get a hold of a Dublin jersey again, which I have managed to do in the last couple of games.

“So, it’s now a case of me trying to put the head down and get back in, to hold onto my jersey and see where it takes it.”

O’Gara was in flying form when introduced at half-time against Kildare, scoring 1-2 in the second half, though he struggled when starting against Meath and could be under pressure to hold his place against Cork on Saturday.

“I was chomping at the bit and glad to get my chance at half-time in that game,” reflected the full-forward.

“It turned out to be a win at a canter but, you know, the game went a bit flat and arguably it was easy to make a bit of an imprint on the game.

“(The Meath game was) maybe one of those days, or whatever you want to call it. You can look for excuses elsewhere, but certainly I’d be looking at myself and, you know, not putting myself about enough to get on ball.”